{
  "abstract": "Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii are fungal pathogens that cause life-threatening infections, including cryptococcal meningitis. A distinctive feature of the cryptococcal cell wall is the extensive deacetylation of chitin to chitosan, a modification that is essential for virulence but whose structural role in cell-wall organization remains poorly understood. Here, we analyze the cell walls of wild-type strains of both species and their avirulent chitosan-deficient mutants, which serve as vaccine candidates. Loss of chitosan disrupted cell morphology and altered cell-wall ultrastructure, with more pronounced defects in C. neoformans . Solid-state NMR reveals that aggregated α-(1→3)-glucans form the principal rigid domain of the cell wall in both species and are closely associated with chitin microfibrils, whereas surrounding β-glucans and mannoproteins constitute a more dynamic matrix. Chitosan modulates hydration and flexibility, and its loss increases chitin exposure and triggers species-specific remodeling of the polysaccharide network. In C. neoformans , chitosan depletion increased α-(1→3)-glucan content and reduced β-glucan levels, whereas C. gattii selectively lost one α-(1→3)-glucan subtype while maintaining β-glucan levels. Although capsule production remained intact, chitosan deficiency altered glucuronoxylomannan linkage patterns and mannoprotein composition. These findings reveal how chitosan organizes cryptococcal cell-wall architecture and highlight distinct structural adaptation strategies among pathogenic Cryptococcus species.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Ankur Ankur"
    },
    {
      "name": "Rajendra Upadhya",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7613-2518"
    },
    {
      "name": "Mahsa Doosti"
    },
    {
      "name": "Davis Ferreira",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9449-4862"
    },
    {
      "name": "Sara E. Miller"
    },
    {
      "name": "Li Xie"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ivan Hung",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8916-739X"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jennifer K. Lodge"
    },
    {
      "name": "Tuo Wang",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1801-924X"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3cnrtw2w6b6nk.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1038/s41467-026-78940-9",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "3cnrtw2w6b6nk",
  "issns": [
    "2041-1723"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78940-9",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2713|Fungal Infections and Studies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7222876859",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78940-9_reference.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-18",
  "publisher": "Springer Science and Business Media LLC",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3cnrtw2w6b6nk.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:39Z",
      "native_id": "10.1038/s41467-026-78940-9",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78940-9"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2713|Fungal Infections and Studies",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Molecular architecture of Cryptococcus cell walls reveals species-specific chitosan-dependent remodeling",
  "title_text": "Molecular architecture of Cryptococcus cell walls reveals species-specific chitosan-dependent remodeling",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:39Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3cnrtw2w6b6nk",
  "venue": "Nature Communications",
  "versions": []
}